Marketing

Portes aims to connect artists and fans while respecting privacy

Artists connecting with fans and rewarding superfans has been a trend in our industry for years. Doing that while respecting their digital privacy is… a somewhat-newer trend. Something that’s trying to walk this line is Portes, a new platform and app launched by startup OCL.

The app is available on iOS, with Android to come. “Use the Portes App to connect directly to your favourite brands or artists in just 3 seconds, without any forms, accounts, passwords, email, phone numbers, or SMS,” is its pitch to fans. “Gain access to exclusive content and offers, without ever sharing any personal data. No tracking, no profiling.” Its App Store listing later stresses that “Portes cannot divulge any personal data because it doesn’t collect any personal data”.

OCL’s Alan Graham tweeted more about what’s planned with Portes: with artists able to create a ‘certificate’ called a DIID – a proof of a fan’s status that can be shared with third parties. “Ticketing platforms can give first access to your fans for tickets, unlock exclusive content anywhere, exclusive merch and endorsement offers, and other VIP experiences,” he wrote. “You can use it to create online campaigns, at shows, in print materials, billboards, and much much more. Each DIID you give fans is 100% unique to them and cannot be spoofed, stolen, phished, or used fraudulently. It’s anti-bot built right in. You’ll know your fans are real.” It sounds interesting, and worth a look for artists.